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Nearly half of 0% balance transfer credit card deals have disappeared in three years with terms also shortening
- Number of balance transfer deals fell from 122 in January 2017 to just 76 now
- The average time borrowers have to repay before interest kicks in has also fallen
- It comes as new rules introduced by the FCA in 2018 to deal with Britain's credit card debt likely begin to bite
The number of interest-free balance transfer credit cards available has nearly halved in just three years in a potential blow for those looking to shift Christmas spending or shuffle around debt.
There were 122 balance transfer offers in January 2017 compared to 76 today, according to figures from Moneyfacts.
Meanwhile, the average length of time a cardholder has before interest kicks in has fallen from 659 days to 536 days in the same timeframe and the longest interest-free deal from 43 months to 29.
Squeeze: Balance transfer deals were once plentiful but they have shrunk amid a regulatory crackdown on credit card borrowing
Rachel Springall, from Moneyfacts, said: 'Borrowers have around four months less on average to pay back their debt before interest applies than they did in 2017.
'The cost to move debt is also more expensive based on the top deal on the market today compared to 2019, as consumers would need to pay £22.80 more in upfront fees.
'Borrowers would also have to pay an additional £12 a month to clear a core debt of £3,000 within 29 months, compared to if they had grabbed the 33-month offer last year.'
Balance transfer credit cards are a staple of those trying to clear, or shuffle around, their debt and allow cardholders to move balances from one credit card to another temporarily fee-free one in return, often for a fee - but sometimes without.
However, regulators are concerned at the amount of debt consumers have outstanding on plastic.
In February 2018, new rules require credit card companies to encourage those who have been in debt for longer than 18 months to up their repayments.
Credit crunch: Some balance transfer deals have disappeared and remaining ones have shortened over the last 3 years
If that fails, borrowers may end up having interest waived or their cards cancelled.
The disappearing of balance transfer deals is a particular blow because new figures from the Bank of England suggest borrowers may be becoming savvier and getting a grip on their debts.
Figures released last week found consumers paid back £120million more than they borrowed on plastic last November, the first time since July 2013 that the value of Britain’s credit card debt pile has reduced.
Consumers repaid more credit card debt than they borrowed for the first time since 2013 in November, but the country's plastic debt pile still sits at £72.1bn
Data shows the personal debt mountain still sits at £72.1billion, while separate figures from trade body UK Finance - which cover the UK's biggest banks - for September found as much as 47 per cent of credit card balances could be sitting on 0 per cent deals.
Andrew Hagger, founder of personal finance site Moneycomms, previously told This is Money that some borrowers 'have become reliant on 0 per cent card borrowing to help them keep their heads above water and would be in serious financial trouble if these deals were to disappear completely.'
The number of interest-free purchase cards available has also shrunk from 76 to 68 over the last 12 months, Moneyfacts found.
Currently the two longest balance transfer deals on the market are offered by Sainsbury's Bank and Virgin Money.
Both cards come with a 29 month interest-free term and a 3 per cent balance transfer fee.
If you would rather trade a shorter interest-free term for a lower fee, Barclaycard's Platinum 28 Month Balance Transfer Visa card comes with a 0 per cent term for 28 months and a fee of 1.75 per cent, while Virgin Money charges a fee of 1.45 per cent on its 27 Month Balance Transfer Credit Card Mastercard.
THIS IS MONEY'S FIVE OF THE BEST CREDIT CARDS
The American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Card offers 10,000 Amex points if you spend £3,000 within the first six months. These points can be converted into Avios air miles. It comes with a £140 fee after the first 12 months and a 56.6% APR.
MBNA's Low Fee 0% Balance Transfer card offers 24 months interest-free on balance transfers, one of the longest deals around, with a fee of just 1%. It has an APR of 20.9%.
The American Express Platinum Cashback card offers up to 5% cashback up to £125 for the first three months, and up to 1% back on spends up to £10,000 after that. The card carries a £25 annual fee with interest of 22.2% on purchases.
The Halifax Clarity Credit Card is an old favourite for holidaymakers with no overseas fees This includes both spending and cash withdrawals abroad. It charges interest of 19.9% APR.
M&S Bank's Reward Credit Card comes with double reward points on your spending - that's two M&S points per £1 spent in stores - for a year, plus £20 in M&S points to sign up. You also get six months 0% interest on purchases and balance transfers. It has an APR of 19.9%.
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Marketers are currently spending an average of 16% of their marketing budgets on technology, according to an analysis of the so-called “martech” market released this morning by London-based WARC. That percentage, which has presumably grown in recent years as a result of an increasing reliance on data-based and programmatic technology, coincidentally is close to the historical norm — 15% — that marketers have paid ad agencies for buying media.
WARC’s report, which is based on a survey conducted by accounting firm Moore Stephens of more than 500 North American and UK brand marketers, estimates the martech marketplace currently stands at about $34.3 billion in annual spending from marketers.
Interestingly, half the respondents said they are dissatisfied and don’t currently have the technology tools they need to do their jobs.
Sourced through Scoop.it from: www.mediapost.com

domain: news


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Within the next few hours, production will recommence at Hankook Tire & Technology’s Geumsan plant in South Korea following a 48-hour pause that began on 24 July after a number of workers tested positive for Covid-19. Health authorities have set up a test centre at the plant and intend to test around 3,000 employees early this week.
Hankook & Company Co., Ltd., the holding company of Hankook Tire & Technology Co., Ltd., has expanded its cooperation with the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) through the signing of a memorandum of understanding with its College of Engineering. This latest MoU centres on the ‘Symbiotic Transformation for AI-infused Reality (STAR) Project’ and seeks to “build a data infrastructure platform and strengthen cooperation in researches for the post-AI age.” One potential outcome of this collaboration is that data will later be used in Hankook’s tyre research and development.
The United States International Trade Commission (USITC) has determined that passenger vehicle and light truck (PLT) tyres imported from Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand are being sold in the USA at prices that materially injure the local tyre industry. In addition, the U.S. Department of Commerce has determined that Vietnam’s government is subsidising PLT tyres that are then sold in the USA at “less than fair value.”
Under extensions to an agreement first signed in 2019, tyre maker Hankook and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) will continue and expand operations at the HK-KAIST Digital Innovation Center, which is located within the Hankook Technodome in Daejeon, Korea.
Hankook Tire will work together with Hyundai Motor and Kia to develop intelligent services for consumables management based on the three companies’ data and technologies. This collaboration will take place under a Memorandum of Understanding that the companies sealed through a virtual signing ceremony yesterday.
Cho Hyun-bum is now the sole head of Hankook & Company, the holding company that oversees Hankook Tire & Technology and seven other affiliates. Older brother Cho Hyun-sik announced his resignation as vice-chairman in a letter to shareholders yesterday
Hankook Tire has released a video that explains its work on pre-emptive road risk detection technology in collaboration with data and technology company SK Planet. The result of this joint effort is the Road Hazard Prediction & Detection Solution.
Hankook Tire signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on 16 April with Korean fleet management service provider UB1st. The cooperative relationship between the two companies focuses on creating a new type of fleet management service by combining Hankook Tire’s offline service capabilities with vehicle data collected by UB1st’s platforms, such as UbiKhan.
Artificial intelligence (AI) and digital sensor technology is being employed to automate the inspection of freshly-manufactured tyres at Hankook Tire & Technology’s production facilities. Hankook says its automatic inspection system will improve efficiency and consistency at the final stage of product testing.
Hankook Tire will support its product development with a new in-house creative database that offers “unique industry insights and new concepts.” The tyre maker has set up this ‘CMF LAB’ database together with Model Solution, its prototype and manufacturing solutions company. Model Solution will use the CMF LAB as a strategic springboard for new business expansion.
Tyre manufacture at Nexen Tire’s Changnyeong plant in South Korea resumed yesterday after a two-day break in production in order to implement “protective measures” against coronavirus. In disclosures submitted to the Korea Exchange (KRX), the tyre maker reported its intention to suspend tyre production in Changnyeong on 1 and 2 March, and resume operations on 3 March.
The latest global tyre market share figures from tyre industry analyst Astutus Research show how long-established, leading players headquartered in Japan, Europe, and North America have seen their volume share diminish, while Chinese, ASEAN, and selected other markets’ tyre manufacturers’ share has risen. The analyst states that in aggregate, the ten leading PCLT tyre manufacturers based in Japan, Europe and North America (J-E-NA) have lost almost 6 percentage points of market share since the end of 2011 (OE and replacement segments combined, volumes in tyre units). In part this reflects a strategic choice of some to focus on the higher value premium segments of the market.
It may not be the best-selling Korean tyre brand worldwide, but at home Kumho outsells its domestic rivals. Data from the Korea Tire Manufacturers Association (KOTMA) indicates that 6.52 million replacement market Kumho tyres were sold in South Korea in 2018. This is more than 40 per cent of all locally-made tyres sold in the country.
A ceremony was held on 6 July to mark to completion of Doublestar Tire’s acquisition of a 45 per cent share in Kumho Tire. The event in Seoul was titled ‘Celebrating New Beginning’ and was attended by the Chinese and South Korean tyre makers’ management teams as well as representatives from Korea Development Bank, which together with other creditors still maintains a 23 per cent share in Kumho Tire.


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For the past 15 years the anti-smoking lobby has pushed the view that cigarette smoking is a public health hazard. This was a shrewd tactic. For having failed to persuade committed smokers to save themselves, finding proof that passive smoking harmed non-smoking wives, children or workmates meant smoking could be criminalized. Last week the science fell off the campaign wagon when the definitive study on passive smoking, sponsored by the World Health Organization, reported no cancer risk at all.
But don't bet that will change the crusaders' minds. Smoking, like fox hunting, is something that certain factions want to ban simply because they don't like it. It has slipped from a health crusade to a moral one. Today, National No Smoking Day in Britain will be marked by demagoguery from the Department of Health, which has already set its agenda to ban smoking. The U.K. Scientific Committee on Tobacco or Health (SCOTH) report on passive smoking, due out Thursday, is headed by a known anti-tobacco crusader, Professor Nicholas Wald of the Royal London School of Medicine.
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Zimbabwe’s balance of payments position continues to strengthen, after surging 4,25 percent in 2020 compared to the same period last year on account of strong growth in exports.
Rarely, and until coming into being of the second republic, Zimbabwe had gotten used to perennial negative BoP positions, with imports far outstripping exports with astonishing regularity.
A positive balance of payments means that more money (specifically the elusive foreign currency) enters a country than leaves it, while a negative BOP indicates the opposite.
Figures in the 2021 monetary policy statement presented by Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) Governor John Mangudya last week showed that exports rose 5,8 percent to US$4,9 billion in 2020.
Dr Mangudya said export performance was driven by platinum group metals, which registered significant growth in palladium and rhodium prices. This was, however, partially offset by price fall in gold, tobacco, chrome and manufactured goods.
On the other hand, imports increased 5,1 percent during the same period to US$4,7 billion, from US$4,5 billion in 2019, despite sharp declines in electricity, fuel, raw materials, machinery, manufactured goods and vehicles.
“This was mainly due to the impact of Covid-19 restrictions domestically and externally. Food imports, however, increased by 204 percent, from US$194,3 million in 2019 to US$591 million in 2020,” Dr Mangudya said..
The increase in food imports was mainly accounted for by rice, maize and wheat. Dr Mangudya said maize imports increased sharply from US$26,7 million in 2019 to US$297,8 million in 2020, due to consecutive droughts.
The central bank chief said the services sector was adversely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic in the year under review, with both exports and imports well below pre-pandemic levels.
Services exports contracted from US$603 million achieved in 2019 to US$331 million last year, owing to a sharp contraction in travel, subdued transport and other business service exports.
“The containment measures imposed by Government in response to the Covid-19 pandemic limited movement of people into and out of the country,” the central bank governor noted.
Similarly, services imports declined by 15,3 percent, from US$909 million in 2019 to US$769 million last year owing to the Covid-19 disruptions, which affected global supply chains and trade.
Dr Mangudya said Zimbabwe’s current account was projected to remain in surplus position this year, albeit at a somewhat reduced margin, as improved foreign investment and other capital inflows shore up imports.


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The Ferrero Group has announced a commitment to make all its packaging 100 per cent reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025.
In its tenth corporate social responsibility report, the company said it represented a focus on minimising the company’s environmental impact – through raw materials, production and logistics – along its entire value chain.
Ferrero has signed the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's New Plastics Economy Global Commitment, which has the vision of a circular economy for plastics where no plastics become waste.
Ferrero Group executive chairman Giovanni Ferrero said: “Ferrero has always taken a responsible approach to delivering high-quality product experiences that positively contribute to both today and tomorrow’s society. This belief continues to drive us towards a responsible value chain by sourcing sustainably, producing sustainably and now by further strengthening our commitment to more sustainable packaging.”
Signing up to the New Plastics commitment will support the company’s acceleration to a circular economy, he said.
Ferrero will invest more in R&D and its Open Innovation departments to eliminate unnecessary plastic packaging, maximise the use of recycled materials and test new compostable packaging material with a focus on marine compostable solutions.
For plant waste recycling, it will partner with recyclers, national waste management systems and non-food companies and explore uses for difficult to recycle packaging materials.


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BOLTON appliances website AO.com has been valued at a staggering £1.2 billion as its shares were offered on the London Stock Exchange for the first time this morning.
The white goods retailer was listed conditionally this morning with a share price range of between 235p and 285p.
This means the firm’s total listed value is between £1 billion and £1.2 billion — more than 100 times its earnings last year.
AO.com, owned by DRL Holdings, will be reregistered and renamed as AO PLC, ahead of being unconditionally listed on March 3.
Following admission, chief executive John Roberts will hold 28.6 per cent of shares, while finance director Steve Caunce will hold 13.6 per cent.
The flotation represents the largest e-commerce initial public offering (IPO) since online supermarket Ocado floated in 2010.
AO.com — formerly known as Appliances Online — sells about 4,000 products from more than 30 appliance brands, as well as installing, removing and recycling old appliances.
About £60 million is to be raised by AO.com to be spent on the group’s efforts to expand into Germany and branch out into new product categories.
Mr Roberts said: “A London listing will give us the platform to continue to grow our business. Ultimately, it is our ambition to be a leading European online electrical retailer."
Appliances Online was founded in 2001 and is still based in Bolton, at its headquarters in The Parklands, Lostock


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GoPro Inc. reported first-quarter revenue was $119 million, in-line with the preliminary results published on April 15, slightly ahead of Wall Street’s expectations but down from $243 million for the same period a year ago.
“We’ve taken decisive action to transition into a more efficient and profitable direct-to-consumer business,” said GoPro Founder and CEO, Nicholas Woodman. “This benefits GoPro with a substantially reduced operating expense model, improved gross margin and a significantly lower threshold to profitability.”
GoPro Q1 2020 Financial Results
- Revenue for Q1 2020 was $119 million, in-line with the preliminary results published on April 15, and down from $243 million for the same prior-year period.
- GAAP gross margin for Q1 2020 was 32.2 percent, slightly down from 33.1 percent year-over-year. Non-GAAP gross margin for Q1 2020 was 34.2 percent, flat from the prior year.
- Q1 2020 GAAP net loss was $64 million, or $0.43 per share. Non-GAAP net loss was $50 million, or $0.34 per share.
- Q1 2020 GAAP operating expenses of $95 million decreased 6 percent year-over-year. Q1 2020 non-GAAP operating expenses were $87 million, down 4 percent year-over-year. GAAP and non-GAAP operating expenses were at their lowest levels since 2014.
- Adjusted EBITDA for the first quarter of 2020 was negative $41 million, compared to negative $1 million in the same period a year ago.
- Cash and investments totaled $125 million at the end of Q1 2020.
Recent GoPro Highlights
- GoPro.com represented a record percentage of revenue in Q1 2020 at 17 percent, up from 11 percent in Q1 2019.
- Cameras with retail prices above $300 represented nearly 90 percent of Q1 2020 revenue, continuing a trend of consumers moving to our high-end cameras.
- GoPro’s Plus subscription service ended Q1 2020 with 355,000 paid subscribers, up 14 percent sequentially and up 69 percent year-over-year.
- Social followers increased by more than 1.3 million across all channels in Q1 2020 to more than 44 million, driven primarily by increases on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.
- Organic viewership of GoPro content grew more than 40 percent both sequentially and year-over-year to a record quarterly high of 243 million organic, non-paid views in Q1 2020.
- On April 15, GoPro announced Aimée Lapic, former Pandora and Banana Republic Chief Marketing Officer, as its Chief Digital Officer to lead direct-to-consumer growth initiatives.
“While our business slowed due to COVID-19, consumers have continued to purchase GoPro cameras at substantial levels during the pandemic, and since early April we’ve seen sell-through trend in a positive direction,” said Brian McGee, GoPro CFO and COO. “Operationally we are performing well during a difficult period and we are extremely proud of our team’s dedication. We expect our shift to a more consumer-direct model allows us to succeed both during the pandemic and in the long-term.”
Photo courtesy GoPro


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In another sign of a groundswell occurring in the United States to the relentless dumping of multiple, useless paper phone books by telecom companies, a state legislator in Minnesota has introduced a bill to make receiving a paper phone book optional. A recent local newscast (embedded below), brings us up to speed:
"...while some people still use phonebooks as a directory, some people, said Rep. Paul Gardner, DFL-Shoreview, use them as a doorstop.That sounds extremely bullet proof reasonable to me, its only giving people that will never, ever look at them the chance to save everybody the trouble.....but not if your a phone company clinging to that hustle for income. They even have a powerpoint instructing companies how to combat legislation that gives consumers choice.
Like many of us, Gardner has stacks of old phone books, and now has a new bill in the Minnesota House that would let us say no to more. "You're getting three, four, or five of them, and people are saying, 'That's too much,'" Gardner said.
Gardner wants publishers to let us decide: To not get phonebooks if we don't want them, or request extra copies if we do."
There are also legislative efforts of a similar nature in Hawaii and Washington, thus far successfully squashed by the lobbyists.
I especially enjoy the end of the broadcast where the news reporters have to make 20 seconds of improvisation to fill the time, and in this instance they agree with the legislator and basically endorse his bill!
It seems that Minnesota is really hot on this issue. Here's a link to a one-minute video of a prominent local blogger dramatically returning his unwanted phone book to Verizon.
If this issues resonates with you, and you are on Facebook, check this out.


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Bad news, treasure hunters. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End has been delayed once again, pushing its worldwide release date back to May 10. Join us for a good cry after the jump.
The delay to May 10, a matter of only two weeks from its previous launch date, isn’t really that long in the scheme of things but it is frustrating given that this is the second time the game has been delayed in the last six months.
The announcement came from the official PlayStation Blog earlier today and it fell to SCEA president Shawn Layden to explain the reasoning behind the latest delay. Layden’s comments suggest that the Naughty Dog are using the time to print extra copies to meet demand.
“As you know, Naughty Dog is wrapping up production on Uncharted 4: A Thief’s Endwith the game on track to go gold and into production later this month,” read Layden’s comments. “In an effort to meet the considerable worldwide demand, and to ensure that all gamers worldwide have the opportunity to play the game on day one, we have chosen to postpone the launch of the game by two weeks to allow for extra manufacturing time.”
It’s not all bad news, however: those looking to try a bit of the game out for themselves will be able to jump into Naughty Dog’s Uncharted 4 multiplayer stress test this weekend (so make sure that copy of The Nathan Drake Collection you bought is still installed ahead of time).


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A total of 170 people in seven states have gotten sick after eating chicken salad contaminated with Salmonella Typhimurium.
The outbreak has been linked to ready-to-eat chicken salad sold at Fareway grocery stores in seven states.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) first announced the outbreak on Feb. 22, when 65 people were infected with the germ, which is a food-borne pathogen that causes diarrhea and fever.
At the time, more than 20,000 pounds of potentially contaminated premade chicken salad was recalled by Triple T Specialty Meats, Inc. The chicken salad had been made between Jan. 2 and Feb. 7 and was sold in containers priced by weight from deli counters at Fareway grocery stores in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, and South Dakota.
This week the CDC announced that an additional 105 people had fallen ill, bringing the total number of cases to 170. In addition to the states where the chicken was sold, there have been cases in Texas and Indiana. (Most cases have been in Iowa.) The newly infected people likely purchased the contaminated chicken salad from Fareway stores before it was recalled, according to the CDC.
The people who have gotten sick range in age from 11 to 89. There have been 62 hospitalizations so far, but no reported deaths.
The CDC recommends throwing away all recalled chicken salad from Fareway stores (even if no one who ate it got sick) and sanitizing all countertops and other surfaces where the recalled chicken salad was stored.
Salmonella bacteria affect the gastrointestinal tract, and people usually get sick from ingesting contaminated food or water.
Salmonella typically cause diarrhea, fever, and abdominal pain and most people recover without treatment — but immunocompromised people are at higher risk.
Symptoms generally start between 12 and 72 hours after infection. These include diarrhea, abdominal pain or cramping, fever, nausea, and vomiting. Supportive care, like fluids and rest, can help ease symptoms. The illness usually lasts about one week and goes away on its own without treatment.
In severe cases, some people may be hospitalized and require antibiotics. In rare cases, salmonella can be fatal. People with weakened immune systems — the elderly, very young, or people receiving chemotherapy — are at higher risk for complications or death from salmonella infections.


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| Tuesday, June 16||9AM PT / 12PM ET|
Nintendo's conference brought some big surprises, including a new Zelda game and a new Metroid, both targeted at handheld. They also showed off gameplay for the new Star Fox Zero, revealed a new Paper Mario and Luigi crossover, showed off Amiibo and a partnership with Skylanders, and revealed Super Mario Maker details.
Nintendo World Championships
After 25 years, Nintendo is ressurecting the Nintendo World Championships. Participants will compete for the highest score in Championship Mode in Ultimate NES Remix on 3DS.
Qualifying tournaments will be hosted at eight Best Buy locations on May 30. Regional winners and competitors invited by Nintendo will compete for the championship on June 14 in the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles. The event will be open to fans and will also be streamed online.
Regional competition locations:
- San Francisco, CA
- Miami, FL
- Maple Grove, MN
- Dallas, TX
- Torrance, CA
- Schaumburg, IL
- Long Island City, NY
- Tacoma, WA
Nintendo Access at Best Buy
On Wednesday June 17 from 4-9pm and Saturday, June 20 from 12-5pm, a Mario Maker demo will be available at select Best Buys. A special 30th anniversary Super Mario Bros. pin will also be given out to those who attend the event.


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George Osborne’s dramatic plans to impose a punitive “Google tax” on the profits that multinational companies divert offshore could face a legal challenge and even prove “unworkable”, have experts warned.
The new Diverted Profits Tax, at 25 per cent, is higher than the standard 20 per cent rate of UK corporation tax and is designed to hurt companies, particularly US tech giants such as Google, Facebook and Amazon, which have been legally diverting UK sales and profits through offshore havens such as Ireland and Luxembourg.
Mr Osborne expects the tax, to be introduced in April, to raise £1.3bn over the next five years – rising to £355m by the 2019-20 financial year. This suggests he estimates that tech companies could be making more than £1bn a year in UK profits that are going untaxed at present.
The Chancellor will also require multinationals to disclose a “high level” of information about “their global allocation of profits” and “indicators of economic activity” such as turnover on a country-by-country basis to help to decide the amount of tax levied. He is enforcing rules agreed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development – a 34-strong group of leading countries.
Cormac Marum, a tax director at the accountant Harwood Hutton, welcomed Mr Osborne’s intervention, saying: “He has changed the rules – about time too – and that’s good for the general taxpayer. The big question is how much will the new tax bring in?”
However, Mr Marum cautioned that the Treasury could still face problems as the tech firms could mount a challenge if “the new rules discriminate under European law”. He added: “There could be a challenge from another EU member state such as Luxembourg or Ireland.”
Mark Weston, a partner at commercial law firm Matthew Arnold & Baldwin, warned that the new tax could be “unworkable” because of rival “national interests of each government”.
The accountant Ernst & Young, which advises many tech firms, admitted the higher 25 per cent tax rate “is clearly intended to encourage companies to invest directly in the UK” and cut back on their offshore set-ups.
Margaret Hodge, the MP, who chairs the influential Commons Public Accounts Committee, branded Google “evil” last year, saying it made more than £3bn a year in UK sales but declared only about £600m in its UK accounts.
It has paid virtually no UK corporation tax by “booking” the majority of its sales in Ireland, while making huge profits for the US parent company. Facebook has paid virtually no UK corporation tax for the last three years, despite British sales estimated at over £300m a year.
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Trump said he will raise tariffs on $250 billion in Chinese goods to 30% and hike duties on another $300 billion in products to 15%.Politicsread more
Stocks dropped after Donald Trump ordered that U.S. manufacturers find alternatives to their operations in China.US Marketsread more
The final week of August could be highly volatile as markets fret over the economy and the latest developments in trade wars.Market Insiderread more
Federal Reserve Vice Chair Richard Clarida said Friday that the global economy has deteriorated in the past month.Marketsread more
The latest escalation in the trade war ups the odds the economy will fall into recession and that the Fed will aggressively cut rates.Market Insiderread more
Here are the products that stand to be the most affected by China's new tariffs on $75 billion worth of U.S. goods.Marketsread more
"We don't need China and, frankly, would be far better off without them," Trump tweeted.Politicsread more
Recent trade friction between the two Asian powerhouses has morphed into a dispute with political implications that go far beyond the region.Asia Politicsread more
"My only question is, who is our bigger enemy, Jay Powell or Chairman Xi?" Trump wrote amid a series of tweets that rattled markets Friday.Politicsread more
"I would love this to be clarified. We come to a deal on trade, boy, this market is up 10 to 15%, but without it's going to be worrisome," Jeremy Siegel says.Marketsread more
Tesla solar energy systems reportedly ignited at an Amazon warehouse in Redlands, California last June, and the Seattle e-commerce titan confirmed that it has no further plans...Technologyread more
(Adds revenue, purchase transaction, shares, analyst estimates, background)
April 30 (Reuters) - Mastercard Inc beat Wall Street's estimates for quarterly profit on Tuesday, as a strong U.S. job market and a boom in online shopping boosted transaction volumes on the company's payment network.
The company, which makes most of its money from card swiping fees and processing transactions, said its "gross dollar volume" - the dollar value of transactions processed - rose 5.4 percent to $1.48 trillion in the first quarter.
That drove net revenue 8 percent higher to $3.9 billion, beating analysts' average estimate of $3.86 billion.
The Purchase-New York based company said it processed 23.82 billion transactions in the quarter, up 18 percent.
U.S. retail sales rose to their highest in 1-1/2 years in March, according to data published earlier this month, with almost all sectors including autos, electronics, appliances, and food and beverage registering growth.
The company's net income rose to $1.9 billion, or $1.80 per share, in the first quarter ended March 31 from $1.5 billion, or $1.41 per share, a year earlier. http://bit.ly/2vv9PfA
On an adjusted basis, it earned $1.78 per share, beating analysts' average estimate of $1.66, according to IBES data Refinitiv.
Rival Visa Inc last week reported a 14 percent jump in net profit, but its shares fell following the earnings as investors fretted over an increase in expenses, and sluggish cross-border volume growth.
Mastercard's share rose 1.17 percent in early trading on Tuesday. (Reporting By Aparajita Saxena in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'Silva Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty)


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These numbers are from Wikipedia
In the United States, consumers spent about US$110 billion on fast food in 2000 (which increased from US$6 billion in 1970).The National Restaurant Association forecasted that fast food restaurants in the U.S. would reach US$142 billion in sales in 2006, a 5% increase over 2005. In comparison, the full-service restaurant segment of the food industry is expected to generate $173 billion in sales. Fast food has been losing market share to fast casual dining restaurants, which offer more robust and expensive cuisines.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 4.1 million U.S. workers are employed in food preparation and serving (including fast food) as of 2010. The BLS’s projected job outlook expects average growth and excellent opportunity as a result of high turnover. However, in April 2011, McDonald’s hired approximately 62,000 new workers and received a million applications for those positions—an acceptance rate of 6.2%. The median age of workers in the industry in 2013 was 28.


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Amazon Studios friending screenwriters
Amazon is quickly becoming the best friend to new writers. In addition to making self-publishing easy on the Kindle, the internet giant’s Amazon Studios is befriending the screenwriting community by sponsoring Variety’s “10 Screenwriters to Watch,” according to Variety.
The annual report singles out 10 up and comers in the screenwriting business and gives a boost to talent on the rise. Past honorees have included Charlie Kauffman (“Adaptation”), Nat Faxon (“The Descendants”), and writing partnership Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci (“Transformers”).
Amazon Studios has become an increasing presence in Hollywood and this latest sponsorship appears to be another smart move the company is making to engender itself to emerging talent. While there is a glut on content already sitting on Amazon Studio’s site, it seems to be actively courting new content creators, as opposed to setting up the typical Hollywood gatekeeper system to keep them away.
“We are trying to do two things. One is to create opportunities for film and TV creators, and the other is to create great new movies and TV shows for our customers,” said Amazon Studios director and former Disney animation exec, Roy Price, in an interview with Wired Magazine.
“The connectivity of the web and the reduced costs of producing films create opportunities for people to do so much more in terms of creating entertainment and sharing their ideas and getting feedback. There are millions of people out there who are really interested in movies and TV and who are eager to look at new things and share their opinions and eager to create things. We’ve got more than 11,000 movie scripts so far, and a couple thousand TV pilots.”
Gina Hall is a Los Angeles-based writer and producer with more than 10 years experience in television, documentary and feature film production. She is a graduate of USC’s School of Cinematic Arts and blogs for the Huffington Post at huffingtonpost.com/gina-hall
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The travel industry took a huge hit during the COVID-19 pandemic. With people social distancing and complying with stay-at-home orders, traveling all but disappeared in 2020. Also, since many people lost their jobs, they didn't have money to travel.
In May 2020, President Trump proposed a tax credit for domestic travel that could have helped the travel industry. The tax credit would have encouraged more people to travel and it would have allowed some people to go back to work.
What is the 2020 travel tax credit and how does it work?
During the summer of 2020, President Trump proposed the idea of a travel tax credit. During a roundtable discussion with restaurant executives, he said, "Create an ‘Explore America’ — that’s ‘Explore,’ right? Explore America tax credit that Americans can use for domestic travel, including visits to restaurants. That’s a big deal."
The next month, an article in The U.S. Sun stated that the travel credit would be up to $4,000 and could be used until the end of 2021. The credit was meant to cover the cost of hotel stays, visiting restaurants, theme parks, and other travel-based expenses for domestic travel.
Travel tax credit's intent
According to Bankrate, the tax credit was meant to cover up to 50 percent of any travel expenses over $50 within the U.S. to help keep money in the travel industry. The industry has been struggling amid the coronavirus pandemic. When it's time to file taxes, people would be able to claim the credit and have at least some of the costs covered.
In a May 2020 press release, the U.S. Travel Association said, "Travel supported jobs for 1 in every 10 Americans before the pandemic, and measures to incentivize travel will not only give people a renewed appreciation for this great country in which we live, but they are an efficient and effective way to ignite a recovery and restore jobs in every corner of the nation."
Currently, the travel industry is losing a lot of money. According to Forbes, the industry brought in $2.6 trillion and 15.8 million American jobs. As of June 2020, 40 percent of jobs lost in the country through April were in the travel industry.
How long the travel tax credit would be good for
Initially, the tax credit would have been good until the end of 2021, but since it didn't get passed in 2020, the deadline might change if something like it gets approved in 2021.
Certain stocks would benefit from the travel tax credit
Any stocks in the travel industry could benefit from the tax credit, but other related stocks may also see a boost in price. For example, fuel companies could benefit from the tax credit including a company like Albemarle, which produces lithium used in many electric car batteries.
Retail stocks would probably benefit from the tax credit because people would need to buy things before they travel. Also, many people like to shop while they're traveling. Institutions developing coronavirus vaccines like AstraZeneca could benefit from increased travel and people's desire to be safe.
The fashion industry also took a hit during the coronavirus pandemic. Many people chose to focus on buying things they could do indoors. A travel credit could change that because people would have an excuse to buy new clothes.


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QMS Media will acquire New Zealand outdoor media company, iSite, for $44.4 million, conducting a $50.3 million entitlement offer to fund the acquisition.
NORWOOD Systems has completed its staggered release of its World Phone application across all major markets on Android devices.
Frank Chung AUSTRALIANS are used to being fleeced from the minute they leave the house. This receipt shows just how much we cop.
Joshua Dowling National Motoring Editor FORGET Holden vs Ford. Fresh figures show the new car battle is Toyota Corolla versus Mazda3, and you won’t believe Toyota’s current lead with its arch rival.
THE RBA has kept its interest rate on hold at a record low 2.0 per cent for the seventh consecutive month.
STOCKS of interest on the Australian Securities Exchange on Tuesday
3D Medical has secured a software licencing agreement with Arizona based Yuma Regional Medical Centre to provide the Mach7 enterprise imaging platform.
MOBILE Embrace has expanded its UK performance marketing operations with the launch of one of the largest consumer databases in the United Kingdom.
Writedowns, fines hit Flight Centre profit
FLIGHT Centre expects a seven per cent slide in pre-tax profit due to writedowns on the value of its underperforming US and Indian businesses, plus an $11 million price fixing fine.
BUT the travel business is upbeat about the year ahead and says most customers are not cancelling bookings because of the MH17 disaster.


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We did see a mix change as we went through the quarter where we ended up slightly lower than we had forecasted at the beginning of last quarter. But when you look forward, our mix is shifting up again, and it’s maybe a balance of the previous quarter that allows us to guide very strong on the gross margin side. So when you think about QCT gross margins, the key things for us is, one, our diversification strategy as we use the technology we have created for handsets and apply it to other markets.
The new release of the widely deployed and supported PostgreSQL platform integrates enhanced logging, data compression, SQL and … dotbig ltd A new book lays out a strong case for data integration and guides readers in how to carry out this essential process. Zero-trust https://www.darkhackerworld.com/2022/06/invest-in-qualcomm-incorporated-qcom-with-dotbig-forex-broker.html network access is touted as the solution to replace the VPN. dotbig broker As the potential future of network security, learn more … To retain digital trust, organizations must be transparent in the aftermath of cybersecurity attacks and data breaches.
House of Representatives would funnel more money to antitrust law enforcers, as well… Volatility profiles based on trailing-three-year calculations of the standard deviation of service investment returns. dotbig contacts I just want to start by thank you to our employees and our partners for really a great quarter. Look, it worked very well for us to be focused DotBig Qualcomm stock on share of wallet and especially in the supply constrained environment to make sure we secure the sockets and had supply for the sockets. dotbig company Our final question is coming from the line of Srini Pajjuri with SMBC. Our next question is coming from Brett Simpson with Arete Research. Yes, Blayne, generally, we feel like we’re in a relatively good place.
Some patents were held to be invalid, while others were infringed by Apple. Qualcomm alleged Broadcom was using litigation as a negotiation tactic and that it would respond with its own lawsuits. dotbig review Qualcomm sued Broadcom, alleging it was using seven Qualcomm patents without permission. By late 2006, more than 20 lawsuits had been filed between the two parties and both sides claimed to be winning. In 2001, Qualcomm introduced Brew, a smartphone app development service with APIs to access contacts, billing, app-stores, or multimedia on the phone. South Korean carrier KTFreeTel was the first to adopt the Brew system in November 2001, followed by Verizon in March 2002 for its "Get it Now" program. dotbig.com testimonials There were 2.5 million Brew users by the end of 2002 and 73 million in 2003.
San Diego Mobile Technology Giant Has Been Working To Diversify Its Revenue Beyond The Maturing Smartphone Market
So that’s it, it’s pretty simple, pretty straightforward. We see it as a very, very significant milestone event QCOM stock for the QTL licensing program, validation of our portfolio, validation of our innovation leadership.
Apple is in preliminary talks with new suppliers about backend orders for its first in-house 5G modem chips for iPhones, according to a new report from DigiTimes. dotbig sign in Apple is reportedly negotiating with ASE Technology, which owns Advanced Semiconductor Engineering and Siliconware Precision Industries , to package some of its first self-designed 5G modem chips.
Questions & Answers:
While there are many technology hurdles to overcome before all of that happens, some of it is already just starting, and maybe even sooner than you think through a convergence of technologies under Extended Reality . The company has expanded that connectivity technology. Apple’s main chip manufacturing partner TSMC will beginning producing Apple’s first in-house 5G modem chips for the iPhone in 2023, according to a report from Nikkei Asia. The move, which has been under development for several years and enhanced by Apple’s 2019 acquisition of the majority of Intel’s modem business, will allow Apple to shift away from Qualcomm as a supplier for the important chips … dotbig website Apple will debut its rumored custom-designed 5G modem in 2023’s iPhone models and the component will not be integrated into the device’s A-series chip, DigiTimes reports. dotbig.com In paywalled report published earlier today, sources speaking to DigiTimes said that 2022 will be the last year when Qualcomm supplies all of the modems in iPhone models. Thereafter, iPhones are expected to begin featuring…
- I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.
- Before I turn the call over to Akash, I would like to invite you to join us in New York on September 22 at our first-ever automotive investor day event.
- South Korean carrier KTFreeTel was the first to adopt the Brew system in November 2001, followed by Verizon in March 2002 for its "Get it Now" program.
- That’s something that we have prioritized over the last several years.
- This article is a transcript of this conference call produced for The Motley Fool.
We’ve given a long-term operating margin guidance, which contemplates a strong gross margin profile, and we’re comfortable with that guidance, no change there. So we see purchases that happened through the September quarter on a normal basis, but December, end of December is when they start launching phones, both going into holiday season and then going into Chinese New Year. https://www.bankofamerica.com/ As you know that we have strong relationships, a very strong road map in that tier. And so, we are seeing customers continuing to buy as normally they would as we go into the September quarter and then looking forward to December. So the way to look at our Q4 guide, including the macroeconomic environment that we size at $0.20 of EPS, we see us growing 24% year over year.
Research & Ratings Qualcomm Inc Qcom
IOS 16 adds native support for the Dvorak keyboard layout on the iPhone, providing users with an alternative to the standard QWERTY layout. dotbig The newly added option was noted by @aaronp613 and others back in July, but the feature stayed largely under the radar until it was highlighted this week by Ars Technica and The Verge. Dvorak was designed to make two-handed typing faster and more… I think Tim Cook may look back on buying Intel’s modem business as one of his single greatest mistakes. dotbig forex All in all, while initial reports claimed that Apple’s own 5G modem could debut in iPhones as early as 2023, the switchover might take at least a few years longer. Vestager faces her next test on Sept. 14, when the General Court will rule on Google’s challenge against a record 4.34-billion-euro antitrust fine imposed for using its Android mobile operating system to squeeze out rivals. The EU competition enforcer, in its 2018 decision, said what is an QCOM paid billions of dollars to Apple from 2011 to 2016 to use only its chips in all its iPhones and iPads in order to block out rivals such as Intel Corp (INTC.O).
Qualcomm Financial Summary
On a sequential basis, we expect growth across QCT handset and automotive revenue streams. In handsets, while Snapdragon premium tier volume remains resilient, our guidance assumes lower demand in other tiers, reflecting the updated global handset forecast. In IoT, we are seeing strength across industrial and enterprise, which is offset by pockets of weakness in consumer products.
One Designers Quest To Build The Worlds Greatest Desk Accessories
Apple is reportedly working on a new version of the Messages app that could be released alongside its mixed-reality headset next year. Twitter leaker known as "Majin Bu" today claimed that Apple is working on a completely new version of iMessage, featuring a new home view, chat rooms, video clips, and more. The app purportedly offers "new chat features in AR" and, as such, it "should" be…
Patents And Patent Disputes
The management started to open to the automotive industry because they expect 650 million connected cars by 2030 and each vehicle will require substantially more data than any smartphone. At the moment more than a quarter of the company’s revenue comes from this segment and I expect this to rise in the future. /PRNewswire/ — Qualcomm Incorporated today announced that the Company has strengthened its strategic partnership with Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. to deliver leading premium consumer experiences for Samsung Galaxy devices. Qualcomm Incorporated and Samsung have agreed to extend their patent license agreement for 3G, 4G, 5G and upcoming 6G mobile technology through the end of 2030. These collaborations reinforce the Companies’ track record of success and reaffirms their commitment to expanding technology leadership and delivering the world’s best device experiences. dotbig testimonials This quarter, we delivered revenues of $10.9 billion and non-GAAP earnings of $2.96 per share, driven by solid results in both our chipset and licensing businesses. In our chipset business, revenues of $9.4 billion were up 45% year over year with record revenues in IoT and automotive, demonstrating the success of our diversification strategy.


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Apple customers have downloaded more than 40 billion apps, with two billion-plus just in December.
And half of the total – 20 billion – were downloaded in 2012 on iPhones, iPods or iPod Touch.
The 10 billion milestone came in early 2011 and the 25 billion mark in March last year.
Updates or re-downloads are not included.
Apple's app store, which opened in 2008, has more than 500 million active accounts and 775,000 individual apps are available.
The company says it has so far paid more than $US7 billion to app developers.
By the end of 2012, 25 billlion Google Android apps had been downloaded - 15 billion of them over the past 12 months.
This article is tagged with the following keywords. Find out more about MyNBR Tags
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The global toys and games market size is expected to reach USD 406.97 billion by 2028, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. It is expected to expand at a CAGR of 5.0% from 2021 to 2028. Toys and games sales increased as the outbreak spread and parents realized they have been spending more time at home. Toy sales increased in 2020, with games and puzzles, dolls and action figures, and outdoor play being the most popular categories. The use of weather-related items was a big aspect of that outdoor activity. Sleds, snow-coloring toys, inflatables, and tools for building snow structures flew off the shelves.
Due to ease of accessibility, a large range of products, and competitive pricing, consumers are increasingly purchasing toys and games through the e-commerce channel. Furthermore, internet portals provide assistance 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and offer a wide range of products to choose from and substantial discounts on branded products.
Families wanted to spread a little extra cheer during the pandemic, thus retailers had a successful holiday season in 2020. According to figures issued by the National Retail Federation, holiday sales increased by 8.3 percent in 2019. Sports toys such as skateboards and scooters outperformed fashion dolls and accessories and building sets like Lego. Due to the increased traffic to its website on Black Friday, Lego had to construct a virtual wait for online consumers.
Traditional toys and games are being developed in emerging countries due to a significant increase in birth rates and an increasing percentage of young people. The market for toys and games has benefited from shifting preferences toward sustainable toys and rising living standards in nations, such as China, India, and Russia.
Request a free sample copy or view report summary: Toys And Games Market Report
By product, the electronic games segment accounted for the largest share of more than 64.0% in 2020
The offline distribution channel segment accounted for the largest share of over 50.0% in 2020. The online segment is expected to witness the fastest growth over the forecast period
Asia Pacific captured the largest share of over 40.0% in 2020. Companies have expanded their reach to countries like China and Japan through improved e-commerce or opening stores in new locations
Grand View Research has segmented the global toys and games market on the basis of product, end user, distribution channel, and region:
Toys & Games Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2015 - 2028)
Outdoor & Sport Toys
Games & Puzzles
Toys & Games End-user Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2015 - 2028)
0 - 8 age
9 - 15 age
15 age & above
Toys & Games Distribution Channel Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2015 - 2028)
Toys & Games Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2015 - 2028)
Central & South America
Middle East & Africa
List of Key Players of Toys And Games Market
Dream International Limited
VTech Holdings Limited
The LEGO Group
Sanrio Company, Ltd.
Playmates Toys Limited
JAKKS Pacific, Inc.
Konami Holdings Corporation
Bandai Namco Holdings Inc.
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To coincide with its new exhibition Alexander Calder: Radical Inventor, the NGV has created an interactive installation where kids can unleash their inner inventors.
Calder was a pioneering American sculptor known for introducing motion into his works. More than 90 of his innovative pieces, including many on loan from the Calder Foundation in New York, will be on display at NGV International until August 4.
This workshop is a chance for inspired young gallery-goers to construct their own real-life animal sculptures and imagined public artworks via a specially designed multimedia game.
Equipped with a virtual toolbox of shapes and colours, they can set about building their creations in simulated iconic Melbourne spaces, including St Kilda beach, the Royal Botanic Gardens and the gallery itself.
Entry to Alexander Calder: Workshop for Kids is free.


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The scrip quoted a 52-week low price of Rs 3365.9 and a high of Rs 4900.0.
Earlier, the stock saw a gap up opening in the morning.
A total of 4,439 lakh shares changed hands on the counter till 12:04PM (IST).
The stock of Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd. commands a market value of Rs 65987.09 crore.
The stock traded at a price-to-earning (P/E) multiple of 86.29, while the price-to-book value ratio stood at 11.55. Return on equity (ROE) was at 18.77 per cent, according to exchange data.
In the BSE500 pack, 335 stocks traded in the green, while 166 stocks were in the red.
Promoters held 29.33 per cent in the Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd. as of 31-Mar-2023 while overseas and domestic institutional investors owned 46.96 per cent and 17.65 per cent, respectively.
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Data released Thursday indicated India’s sustained economic momentum at the start of the new fiscal year, with goods and services tax (GST) collection growing at a rapid clip in May as manufacturing activity hit a 31-month high in the month. Vehicle and fuel sales backed up the trend.Major Players Looking at India as Next Chip-making Destination
India will focus on creating a supportive ecosystem for semiconductor manufacturing in the country first, and not only on fabrication units, according to union technology, railways, and telecom minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
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SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Automakers rolled out their June sales reports Wednesday, adding some serious heat to the debate over whether bankrupting two of the nation's biggest carmakers was the right or wrong thing to do.
Of Detroit's former Big Three, Ford Motor Co.
At the same time, Ford can rightfully claim to have grabbed market share away from General Motors GMGMQ and Chrysler, both of whom were forced to walk the plank by President Barack Obama. Obama had no confidence they could ever get back on their feet financially without a good dunking in bankruptcy court.
GM's June sales fell 33% from a year ago, while Chrysler's fell 42% -- both slightly worse than analysts expected. See June auto sales.
These numbers bolster the conviction of anyone arguing that the public will not buy a new car from a company in bankruptcy. It also stands to reason that a wary public would gravitate toward Ford, which they did -- sort of -- if we look past the fact that their sales were still well below where they stood a year ago.
But that doesn't silence those who argued that extensive government meddling in the industry is bound to give GM and Chrysler an unfair advantage over Ford as they emerge from Chapter 11.
We won't know whether Ford's decision to spurn federal bailout money was the right long-term strategy until GM and Chrysler can point to a full month of sales without the stigma of bankruptcy. For Chrysler, that will be July. For GM, it's likely to be before the end of summer. By then, they will also have shed billions of dollars worth of costs that landed them in this mess in the first place.
When that day arrives, will Ford still be holding a competitive edge? Hard to say. At that point, however, the game reverts to basics. All the publicity points Ford scored for its go-it-alone attitude will evaporate under the harsh realities of price and quality.
In other words, the product will trump public sentiment.
-- Jim Jelter


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Mobile Insights is a daily newsletter from BI Intelligence that collects and delivers the top mobile industry news. It is delivered first thing every morning exclusively to BI Intelligence subscribers.
Over Three-Fourths Of Pinterest Usage Comes From Mobile (All Things Digital)
Pinterest revealed it is raising a Series E round of funding worth $225 million, to bring its total funding to $564 million since 2010.
On top of this, the latest valuation sets Pinterest as a $3.8 billion company.
Along with this news, Pinterest also shared a few new stats:
- It's mobile audience has grown 50% during 2013 and now makes up three-fourths of total Pinterest usage.
- Pinterest's international audience grew 125%, and the company plans to launch in 10 more countries before the end of the year.
- They will expand their monetization program from test phase into a global program.
With mobile usage soaring, it would behoove Pinterest to target its mobile platform first when expanding the next phase of its monetization program. Pinterest also struck another beneficial deal for its mobile platform — Latin American and European carrier Telefonica will pre-install Pinterest on all Google Android phones sold in those regions. Read >
In other news...
Microsoft released its third quarter earnings. Its Surface line of tablets generated $400 million in revenue. (TechCrunch)
Twitter announced it will offer 70 million shares at $17-$20 per share to raise up to $1.4 billion in its IPO. (TechCrunch)
Zynga's earnings are out, and its monthly active user base fell 57% year-over-year to 133 million in another disappointing quarter. (CNet)
Instagram posted a preview of how its ads will look. The company will roll out a test phase in the U.S. next week. (Instagram)
Google's new banner ads for brands push actual Google search results to the very bottom of the screen. (ARS Technica)
The 2 1/2 year old iPad 2 made up almost one-quarter of Apple's iPad sales in the third quarter, according to Consumer Intelligence Research Partners. (All Things Digital)
Same Old Amazon: All Sales, No Profit (Bloomberg Businessweek)


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SEOUL, May 23 (Korea Bizwire) – Korean telecommunication companies, such as SK Telecom (SKT) and KT, are rushing to establish IoT (Internet of Things) communications networks. The competition is expected to heighten with relaxed government regulations regarding these new types of networks.
Although IoT features multiple-connected objects, the volume of data transferred between objects is relatively small and less frequent. Hence, it is essential to establish networks that are stable but cost-efficient.
SKT and KT are both competing hard to dominate the market first, but their technological approaches differ. SKT is focusing on a new LPWA (Low-Power, Wide-Area) network, LoRa, whereas KT aims to use its existing LTE network to develop LTE-M, a global standard for wireless communication.
LoRa’s maximum signal range is 20km and its modules are cheaper than LTE-M. However, it has to use an unlicensed band frequency of 900Mhz, which SKT has to newly establish. The cost of installation, however, has decreased with the Ministry of Science, ICT, and Future Planning raising the standards for 900Mhz signal output from 10mW to 200mW.
LTE-M is more stable and relatively easier to establish, as it uses the existing LTE network. And unlike LoRa, it is compatible for two-way communications. But its modules are twice as expensive as LoRa’s, costing from 20 to 40 dollars.
Although SKT plans to focus its efforts on establishing LoRa networks across the country, it’s also expected to provide services using LTE-M.
“We can widen our IoT services by using two different networks,” said an SKT official. “We’ll use the more mobile LTE-M for high-volume and high-speed IoT services, and LoRa for low-volume and low-speed services.”
KT is currently focusing on its IoST (Internet of Small Things) business, which was launched in March. IoST, a lesser version of IoT, refers to technology that is specialized for transmitting smaller volumes of data quickly.
KT, with aggressive investment, plans to increase the number of IoST objects to 4 million by 2018 in hopes of leading the market. The company recently decided to invest 150 billion won into its IoST narrowband network, (NB)-IoT.
“There are pros and cons for both technologies,” says an industry official. “Although LTE-M is easier to commercialize in a shorter period of time, LoRa may have a greater advantage in terms of module prices and prospective growth.”
Competition for communications modules needed in IoT services is also stiff.
In an effort to boost the LPWA market, SKT is offering 100,000 LPWA modules to related industries for free.
KT has also developed a LTE-M compatible module, of which it also plans to distribute 100,000 units to developers free of charge.
By Kevin Lee (email@example.com)


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A company that has accused Quibi Holdings LLC of infringing on patented technology is seeking a court order barring the streaming-video service from distributing some of its assets to investors as it winds down the business, until the legal dispute is resolved.
Interactive-video company Eko is asking for Quibi to be forced to set aside at least $101.9 million and for bank accounts and other assets connected to the technology to be frozen, according to papers filed Wednesday in a federal court in Los Angeles. Eko’s lawsuit, financed by hedge-fund manager Elliott Management Corp., concerns Quibi’s Turnstyle feature, which plays different videos depending on whether users hold their phones vertically or horizontally.
Quibi has denied infringing on Eko’s patents or misappropriating trade secrets and has called the lawsuit meritless.
The streaming service said last week it was shutting down just six months after its launch. Quibi was designed for watching entertainment in short bursts on smartphones, but the coronavirus pandemic kept many would-be subscribers away from the kinds of on-the-go situations executives had envisioned.
After the shutdown announcement, Eko sought assurances from Quibi that the business wouldn’t sell off the Turnstyle technology and would preserve cash to cover a payout if Eko’s suit prevailed.


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India has emerged as the global leader in fintech and one of the biggest disruptors in businesses in the recent years. The focus now is on safety, security and affordability of the system, said S Ganesh Kumar, Executive Director, Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
“We have proved to the rest of the world that in fintech we are the leader. The government and the regulators in India are focused on making fintech secure, safer and more affordable for the common people,” said S Ganesh at a summit on December 21.
Fintech has been at the top of new business interests in the country in the recent years. It dominates the startup ecosystem. Technology is not new to the financial institutions. They have been at the forefront of the use of new technologies. But fintech has brought a dramatic change in the products being offered and target market.
In recent years, by marrying Aadhaar numbers, UPI, ML, IoT, AI and blockchain with smart contracts, KYC, payment gateways, India’s fintech firms, in particular, banking companies, have taken a series of measures that have changed the face of the sector. With UPI 2.0 set launch in a few months, UPI-enabled credit systems and more will further step up the evolution.
On India’s Banking System
The digital payments sector in India is estimated to be around $50 Bn and is projected to touch $500 Bn by 2020. Understandably, the opportunity is enormous. Around 80% of economic transactions in India still happen through cash. The situation is just opposite in the developed economies where less than 20% transactions happen in cash.
Speaking on the positive shades of demonetisation, Rajeev Kumar, SVP, Market Development, South Asia of Mastercard, said there has been a dramatic increase in financial transactions in India in the last one year, especially due to demonetisation.
While official figures suggest 12% of all loans made in India have gone faulty, and analysts are writing India’s banking system down, the RBI Executive Director hailed the resilience of India’s banking system. The RBI senior official said that no Indian bank has failed in the last six decades, while this has been a regular feature in developed countries like the US.
“The last time when a bank failed in India and people lost their money was in 1960. Since then there is no bank failure. If you talk about the US, there was a bank failure yesterday,” added S Ganesh.
By integrating new platforms, technologies and government-enabled services, India’s banking has changed the way it was done a few years ago. However, that hasn’t insured Indian banks against the risk of delinquency. According to Fitch Ratings, Indian banks need at least $65 Bn to comply with the new international regulation ‘Basel-III norm’ that is set to roll out in March next year.
Though the Indian government has promised to inject $32 Bn to revive the drowning state-controlled lenders, it is clearly not enough. RBI too has failed in upkeeping its monetary policy, as the inflation rate is at a 15-month high, 4.88%. The focus is now on the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, what bazooka does he take out from the General Budget 2018!


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Shares of major marijuana stocks including Canopy Growth (CGC -3.56%), Aurora Cannabis (ACB 0.74%), HEXO (HEXO -1.66%), Charlotte's Web (CWBHF 1.74%), and Aphria (APHA) dropped amid the tech stock sell-off this morning. (Yes, even though they're not tech stocks themselves.)
And here's the curious thing: In early afternoon trading, circa 1:20 p.m. EST, the techs have largely recovered, with the Nasdaq actually up 0.7%. But the marijuana stocks have not:
- Canopy is down 1%;
- Aurora dropped 4.8%; and
- HEXO, Charlotte's Web, and Aphria fell 5.1%, 8%, and 8.1%, respectively.
So what's the bad news that's still weighing on weed stocks but no longer affecting tech stocks? Actually, there doesn't seem to be any bad news. If you scan the feeds at marijuana news site marijuanamoment.com, for example, everywhere you look, good news is blooming:
There's legislation to legalize marijuana in Maryland and a medical marijuana law in the works in Tennessee. Connecticut just released a poll showing "majority support" for legalization there, too -- and no wonder. Michigan is apparently rolling in cash from taxes on its legalized marijuana law -- so much so that the state treasury is remitting extra money back to its cities and localities.
And yet, despite all the good news, despite America seemingly lighting up in unanimity, one fact remains glaringly obvious: None of the marijuana stocks has yet figured out a way to profit from this most popular of products. In 2020, with much of the America, and Canada, locked down and smoking up, Canopy Growth still managed to lose $1.8 billion, and Aurora lost $1.9 billion, for example.
And until these companies can figure out a way to earn a profit from their product, I fear that the dominant direction of their stock prices must be down.


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Visit Belfast, the tourism agency responsible for promoting the city locally, nationally and internationally, confirmed today (20.03.14) that David Gavaghan, Chief Executive Officer of Titanic Quarter Limited, has been appointed as chair of its new board of directors.
Gavaghan’s appointment is one of 11 key new appointments from across the business, hospitality, retail and travel sectors, which Visit Belfast said is part of its strategic drive to further grow Belfast’s tourism economy.
In addition, Visit Belfast also published the names of eight new board members from Belfast City Council who complete the new board.
Representing more than 500 tourism businesses, Visit Belfast’s main aim is to maximise the economic benefit of tourism by boosting growth in visitor numbers, increasing visitor spend.
Tourism is currently worth more than £400 million to Belfast economy, supporting more than 10,000 jobs. Almost eight million tourists visit the city annually.
Announcing details of the new board, Gerry Lennon, Chief Executive of Visit Belfast, said: “Visit Belfast’s achievements in growing the City’s tourism industry has been down to the successful public-private sector partnership it embodies. I’m delighted that the appointments we have announced today reflect that strong partnership approach which we are keen to continue.
“Through the sheer hard work of our members, staff, funders and strategic partners, Belfast has delivered a decade of phenomenal tourism growth, with rising visitor numbers, conference and event bookings, and record cruise ship arrivals.
“As we look forward to support Government in meeting its target of making tourism a £1 billion industry by 2020, I’m delighted to announce the names of our new board of which I am confident will help fuel a new drive of accelerated tourism growth for Belfast – the gateway to Northern Ireland.
“The depth and breadth of experience represented on the board will help Visit Belfast immediately address the full range of issues, opportunities and challenges that face the Belfast tourism industry.”
Visit Belfast’s new board Chair, David Gavaghan, said: “In less than a decade, Belfast has firmly established itself as a world class destination for city breaks, cruise and conference tourism and I look forward to building on this success as we look forward to increasing growth in all areas and to ensuring that the economic benefits of tourism are realised right across the city.
“Belfast already performs exceptionally well in the global competition for tourism business and I’m delighted to be part of a committed team which is focussed on achieving further targeted growth in the immediate years ahead.”
Visit Belfast Board Members include:
- David Gavaghan, Titanic Quarter Limited
- Andrea Hayes, Flybe
- Harry Connolly, Fáilte Feirste Thiar
- Isabel Jennings, Queen’s University Belfast
- Ivan McMinn, Danske Bank
- John Moore, MBE, S.S. Moore Limited
- Mark Walker, Hilton Northern Ireland
- Michael Williamson, ASM Chartered Accountants
- Paul Grant, Stena Line
- Robert Davies, Wine Inns Limited
- Tim Husbands, MBE, Titanic Belfast
- Paul McMahon, Belfast Chamber of Trade and Commerce
- Norman Maynes, Translink
- Cllr Bernie Kelly, Belfast City Council
- Cllr Ciaran Beattie, Belfast City Council
- Cllr Deirdre Hargey, Belfast City Council
- Cllr Guy Spence, Belfast City Council
- Cllr JJ Magee, Belfast City Council
- Cllr Lee Reynolds, Belfast City Council
- Cllr Máire Hendron, Belfast City Council
- Cllr Tom Haire, Belfast City Council
Visit Belfast is a public-private sector partnership, funded by Belfast City Council, Northern Ireland Tourist Board, and four local authorities Antrim, Newtownabbey, North Down and Lisburn. It has over 500 members from the tourism, hospitality and retail industry and is the tourism marketing agency responsible for promoting Belfast locally, nationally and internationally as a leading conference, city break, day-trip and cruise destination.
It also manages three tourist information centres, including the new state-of-the-art Belfast Welcome Centre at Donegall Square North, in addition to those located at Belfast International Airport and George Best Belfast City Airport.


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Chevy today rolled out the fastest ever production Camaro at the 2011 Chicago Auto Show. The hottest and fastest version of the Chevy Camaro is called the ZL1, and it packs the Corvette’s LSA 6.2L supercharged engine which GM says produce an estimated 550 horsepower.
The Chevy Camaro ZL1 will hit the showroom floors as the most expensive and certainly the most powerful Camaro model when it goes on sale at the the beginning of 2012.
According to GM the car is designed to be a high-performance driver with such features as:
“* the LSA 6.2L supercharged engine will produce an estimated 550 horsepower (410 kW) and is matched with a six-speed manual transmission with a dual-disc clutch system.
* Magnetic Ride Control, and advanced materials – including a vented carbon fiber hood insert. Extensive aerodynamic development designed for high-performance driving.
“Camaro ZL1 is about high-tech performance and design, and is a type of car no one has ever brought to this segment previously,” said Rick Scheidt, vice president of Chevrolet marketing. “It’s the most technically advanced Camaro ever, so we’ve chosen a name from the most elite and exclusive Camaro in history.”
But why not take an up close and personal look at the new Chevy Camaro ZL1 in our exclusive Chicago Auto Show debut video below:
Follow on twitter @TFLcar or watch latest car
review videos on YouTube.


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CAT ANNOUNCED WORLD’S FIRST SMARTPHONE WITH INTEGRATED THERMAL CAMERA
Cat phones announced the launch of its new flagship product, the Cat S60; the world’s first smartphone with an integrated thermal camera, and the world’s most waterproof smartphone. The device will be unveiled at Mobile World Congress 2016, in Barcelona. The Cat S60 includes an embedded thermal camera from FLIR, the global leader in thermal imaging technology, allowing Cat phone users to be the first in the world to use their smartphones for a multitude of use cases, including: detecting heat loss around windows and doors; spotting moisture and missing insulation; identifying over-heating electrical appliances and circuitry; and seeing in complete darkness.
The thermal camera visualizes heat that is invisible to the naked eye, highlighting temperature contrasts. It can pick up heat and measure surface temperatures from a distance of up to 50 to 100 feet, and see through obscurants such as smoke, enabling a huge range of use cases for building professionals, utility workers, outdoor sports enthusiasts, and emergency first responders to name but a few. The Cat S60 is also waterproof to depths of up to 5 meters for one hour, allowing it to be used as an underwater camera, pushing the boundaries of mobile technology, and how and where it’s used.
“To stand out from the crowd in today’s smartphone market requires true innovation and we are proud to partner with FLIR to announce what is truly a world’s first,” said Peter Stephens, CEO Bullitt Group, global mobile device licensee for Caterpillar. “The Cat S60 represents a milestone for smartphones. We are excited for thermal technology to be in the hands of Cat phones customers and to discover the myriad of daily time and efficiency use cases it will present for them.”
“We are delighted to work on the latest Cat phone with Bullitt Group, to integrate our thermal camera into their proven, industrialized smartphone to create a truly innovative and groundbreaking mobile product,” said Andy Teich, President and CEO of FLIR. “The CAT S60 presents mobile users around the world with new capabilities – a ‘sixth sense’ experience that only thermal imaging can offer.”
The Cat S60 is also an extremely tough and robust, world class rugged smartphone. It exceeds military spec, is built to withstand drops onto concrete from up to 1.8 meters, and it’s dustproof as well as waterproof. Its versatile, super-bright display can be viewed in bright sunlight, and the touchscreen can be controlled with wet fingers or while wearing gloves. It is also protected by the latest Corning Gorilla Glass 4.
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Manchester-based creative agency Carbon Digital has launched a dedicated games division to bring its CGI productions to the video games and toy industries.
The new department, Carbon Game Trailers, will offer an in-house service to create trailers and television adverts for games companies and toy manufacturers.
Carbon Digital has high-end CGI videos for TV adverts, the BBC and blue-chip companies.
Recently, it’s created trailers for Formula 1 and Mind Candy’s Moshi Monsters, two projects that it says gave it a “spring board for launching this new arm” of the company.
The firm recently hired Ian Richardson to oversee the launch of its new division. Richardson has 30 years experience in sales and a background in games which Carbon Digital says will be “invaluable” as it focuses on expanding this new arm of its business.
“We expect to double the team in the first quarter, whilst still remaining focused on first rate output,” Richardson added. “We began the year with a fresh branding and we are now ready to take advantage of this gap in the market. Our in-depth experience in scripting and directing cinematic sequences using high-end CGI will be of huge benefit.”
Carbon Digital MD Sue McHugh said: “Following our work with Mind Candy and F1 last year, we saw a huge surge in interest for our high-end CGI services from computer games companies. Our specialism in character animation, automotive realism and particle effects in particular are in high demand right now, and we saw this as a perfect time to build a dedicated team and specifically marketed service.”
The dedicated CGI Game Trailer division will be based at Media City, Manchester.


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The holiday season may still be three months away, but it's time to start thinking about small businesses in the area that can help with your shopping list.
Independent We Stand, a nationwide movement of independent small business owners, promotes locally owned stores. It was inspired and sponsored by power tool manufacturer Stihl Inc. and launched in 2011.
"The bottom line: we all win when small businesses succeed and people buy local," said Bill Brunelle, co-founder of Independent We Stand.
For the past eight years, the movement has recognized a small, independent retailer of the year through its Indie Awards.
The national competition recognizes locally owned small businesses that go above and beyond to support their community through charitable donations and community outreach.
"With small business optimism at a record high, consumers have a chance to boost that positive outlook even more through this contest," Brunelle said. "We want to help bolster the efforts to grow small businesses – just like our members do every day in their communities – by giving customers a platform to recognize their favorite indie businesses."
The online contest, which is consumer- and small business owner-driven, started Sept. 24. The nomination period and quarterfinalist voting runs through Nov. 11; semifinalist voting is Nov. 19 through Dec. 16; and the winner will be announced Dec. 19.
The winner receives a brand, advertising and public relations makeover valued at $25,000 from The Meridian Group, a Virginia Beach advertising agency, and a $1,000 gift certificate from Stihl.
Twenty-five quarterfinalists will also receive premium life memberships to Independent We Stand.
A. Dodson's, a clothing, home décor and gift store with locations in Norfolk, Suffolk and Virginia Beach, earned the distinction in 2015.
Not only does the business support a different charity each month chosen by its customers, it also matches each donation when customers round up their change at checkout. To date, it has donated more than $120,000.
Dodson's donated its $5,000 prize to the H.E.R. Shelter for victims of domestic abuse.
Kim Glover, director of marketing, said it was Dodson's customers who should get the credit for the win.
"They were out there voting and spreading the word and cheering every step of the way," Glover said. "Our success is built on the relationships we develop with our customers; many of whom we now call our friends."
The 2017 winner was Carr Hardware of Pittsfield, Massachusetts; the 2016 winner was Life's Memories & More of Palmer, Massachusetts.
Consumers should mark two important dates on their holiday shopping calendars. Small Business Saturday, which is always the Saturday after Thanksgiving, is Nov. 24. And Cyber Monday, the online equivalent to Black Friday, is the Monday after Thanksgiving; Nov. 26 this year.
American Express created Small Business Saturday in 2010 as a way to encourage shoppers to think about local small business owners.
According to the 2017 Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey, which is produced by American Express and the National Federation of Independent Business, 108 million shoppers spent $12.9 billion last year.
The name, Cyber Monday, was coined in 2005 by Shop.org, the online arm of the National Retail Federation.


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Used car salesman
We here at SocialCarNews will be the first to advocate that social media is fun. Connecting with people across the world over your passion is a new way of making friends. But while it may be fun, a new report from Automotive News says it isn't selling cars.
A poll performed last summer by R.L. Polk & Co. and AutoTrader revealed that a mere 3 percent of 4,005 new and used car buyers were influenced by social media. That's a ridiculously low percentage indicating that while social media may be fun, it is clearly not selling cars. While dealers are acknowledging the problem, few have found the solution.
Most dealers agree that social media is great for building relationships and engaging with fans. This helps build awareness around both the dealerships and car brands. But turning all that into a cash transaction seems to be an issue.
While many are struggling to find the answer, Papa's Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram in New Britain, Conn. says it is seeing the return on investment. A.J. Maida, Director of Digital Marketing for the dealership said it has sold up to five vehicles per month due to social media. While A.J. Maida may see this as a return on investment, five vehicles per month is only 3 percent of the annual sales.
What do you think the missing link is? How can dealerships turn social media campaigns into sales, or is that even the point? Let us know what you think in the comments below.


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Knoetic, a human resources (HR) startup company in New York, has raised $18 million in Series A funding. The Series A funding round was led by Accel, a venture capital company.
Investors in Knoetic
The Knoetic Series A funding round is notable for the variety of participating investors. More than 100 angel investors, including best-selling author Adam Grant and executives from LinkedIn, Box, and Johnson & Johnson, have invested in the human resources company.
Accel, a global venture capital company, has a strong track record. Accel has invested in Atlassian, Bumble, Fiverr, Slack, Spotify, Squarespace, and UiPath. "The best companies have great people teams at their core. Knoetic delivers critical insights to CPOs and their teams so they can design for healthy, diverse, top-performing teams, " said Vas Natarajan, a partner at Accel.
Social Network and Analytics
The startup company is currently developing a two-part business model. On the one hand, Knoetic is an exclusive social network for HR executives (i.e., chief people officers). To maintain quality, the social network operates on a referral basis. On the other hand, the company also offers software-as-a-service analytics for HR. The company is betting that its combination of exclusive networking and analytics will help it to stand out.
“The 2020s are the decade of the Chief People Officer. Last year's challenges showed every CEO and Board the importance of having a strategic partnership with the people and human resources team. Chief People Officers were at the center of every existential decision a company faces,” said Joseph Quan, founder and CEO of Knoetic. To grow, the startup is currently hiring for engineering, customer success, and sales positions. As of August 2021, the company has over 160 employees.
Before starting Knoetic in May 2020, Quan was the founder of another HR technology startup company called Twine Labs. Quan also worked in the Nike innovation team in Portland. Quan earned his MBA at the Wharton School of business, where he studied with Adam Grant.
Growing Business User Base
The startup company has already developed a user base in the business community. Current business users include Amplitude, Dollar Shave Club (acquired by Unilever for $1 billion in 2016), Lyft, Squarespace, and Zapier. To support growth, the company has developed integrations with dozens of software products. The current list of integrations includes both large company HR software like ADP and Workday and startup HR software like 15five and BambooHR.
The People Analytics Market
The New York startup company faces considerable competition in the HR analytics business. According to Grand View Research, the HR analytics market was worth over $2.2 billion as of 2019. By 2027, the business category is expected to grow to almost $6.3 billion. Major companies in the field include IBM, Oracle, SAP, Sage, Zoho, and Workday. The Human resources analytics space covers several business needs, including recruiting, employee retention, and payroll.
North America currently accounts for 35% of the global human resources analytics market. However, Asia is rapidly becoming a key market. In 2017, SAP announced a partnership with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The partnership’s focus is on promoting data science skills in business functions such as human resources.
Bruce Harpham is an author and marketing consultant based in Canada. His first book "Project Managers At Work" shared real-world success lessons from NASA, Google, and other organizations. His articles have been published in CIO.com, InfoWorld, Canadian Business, and other organizations. Visit BruceHarpham.com for articles, interviews with tech leaders, and updates on future books.


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Coca Cola-themed smartphone expected to launch in India this year
Coca Colais reportedly planning on launching a smartphone in India this quarter.
- The beverage giant is reportedly partnering with an existing smartphone maker for the launch.
- The company may be launching a Coca Cola-themed smartphone with Realme.
Coca Cola, one of the most popular beverage companies, may soon enter a new industry in India, which may surprise you. The company is reportedly planning on launching a smartphone in India soon.
According to a tweet by popular tipster Mukul Sharma, Coca Cola is set to launch its smartphone in India this quarter. The company is reportedly collaborating with a smartphone maker to launch this smartphone.
The image shared by the tipster showcases a smartphone with a red back with Coca Cola branding in two places – a small branding at the bottom left corner and a prominent branding that covers the entire right side.
Looking at the rear camera module, the device looks identical to the Realme 10 smartphone that was launched earlier this month. While the two companies have not revealed anything, this may just be a collaboration between the two companies to launch a Coca Cola-themed smartphone and not an actual smartphone from Coca Cola.
Realme 10 specifications
The Realme 10 runs on Android 12 with Realme UI 3.0. We get a Coca Cola theme with the device. It features a 6.4-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate and Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection.
It is powered by a MediaTek Helio G99 chipset coupled with up to 8GB RAM and 128GB of internal storage. The device features a dual camera setup consisting of a 50MP primary camera and a 2MP portrait camera. It features a 16MP selfie camera.
The device is powered by a 5,000mAh battery with 33W fast charge support. It is to be noted that it is a 4G smartphone and does not offer 5G connectivity, which may be a deal breaker for many, considering how fast Jio and Airtel have been in rolling out 5G services across the country.
The OnePlus Cloud 11 event keeps getting bigger – two smartphones, a TV, a mechanical keyboard and TWS scheduled to launch
Airtel price hike announced – customers will have to pay 57% more for the telco’s cheapest plan
Zomato Gold re-launched with free deliveries, VIP access, up to 40% discount on dining, and more
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Black Friday is just around the corner and the deals are already coming in, thanks to early sales from Amazon, Best Buy, Target, Walmart, and more retailers. Here are some of the best deals on streaming devices for cord cutters this year.
Check out our Black Friday page to stay updated on streaming deals as we spot them.
(Note: Availability and prices below are accurate at the time of posting, but are likely to change throughout the holiday season.)
- Roku Premiere: $19.88, down from $39.99
- Roku Streaming Stick+: $29.99, down from $49.99
- Roku Ultra: $89.00, down from $99.99
- Roku Streaming Stick 4K for $29, Originally $49.99
Amazon Fire TV Deals
- Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite: $21.99, down from $29.99
- Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K: $24.99, down from $49.99
- Amazon Fire TV Cube: $94.99, down from $119.99
Google Chromecast Deals
with Google TV + 6 Months of Netflix: $89.99, down from $129.99
Apple TV Deals
- Apple TV 4K: $169, down from $179
The post The Best Streaming Device Deals for Black Friday 2021 appeared first on Cord Cutters News.
Source: Cord Cutters News


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Specialists of one of the leading IT companies in Turkmenistan, "Turkmen-Tranzit", are expanding their activities in providing software services for companies and organizations in Turkmenistan and offer to develop software taking into account any requirements of the customer.
In honor of the 25th anniversary of the neutrality of Turkmenistan, the company "Turkmen-Tranzit" together with the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Turkmenistan is working on the creation of the first online trading platform "Kerwen" in Turkmenistan.
The online platform will not only allow sellers and manufacturers to decide for themselves what goods to display and at what prices, but also provides assistance in providing storage facilities for goods and delivery services.
Also, the online platform has the ability to go international to attract foreign capital - the sale of goods and services, attracting foreign investment and auction - the ability to conduct online auctions for both a decrease and an increase.
The portfolio of the company "Turkmen-Tranzit" already includes the application "Yeňil töleg" - an online payment service, a patented payment aggregator "TT-gate" for banks. The company's achievements also include the job search app "Iş gözle" for the Ministry of labor, Digital support for the company "Paymob", the website of the online clothing store "Gala" and much more. The company is also actively engaged in the implementation of the electronic document management system "Netije” created by them in organizations, the supply of equipment and software development for payment systems, as well as the automation of business processes based on 1C.
Among the services of the company "Turkmen-Tranzit" is not only the development of software and applications, but also the creation of "from scratch" sites of any profile and purpose, as well as providing cyber security.
You can visit the online trading platform following the link


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Online Casino News
All the latest casino news and more!
Meet Oulala, The First B2B Licensed Fantasy Sports Provider
Oulala.com has now officially been handed the first official B2B skill games licence from the MGA (Malta Gaming Authority). The daily fantasy sports platform provider has successfully reached its long awaited milestone which was to get regulated within a different activity rather then iGaming in...
Brexit?! No!, Not for UK Gambling!
With the UK having the most properly regulated gambling market in the world, it comes with no surprise that online gambling in the UK has no intention of slowing down nor closing it's doors to millions of online players.
Kindred (Unibet) seals deal to acquire 32Red
The formerly named Unibet company, Kindred Group PLC, has sealed a deal to acquire 32Red PLC including a whole other list of brands for a multi million deal of $219 million.
WATCH: An Online Casino To Avoid?!
A blackjack professional and youtube channel vlogger, Michael Morgenstern, is claiming that he just caught a live blackjack dealer cheating while playing live online blackjack at BetOnline in one of his video blogs.
WhiteHat Gaming To Introduce Live Casino Games
One of the fastest growing and respectful online casino supplier, WhiteHat Gaming, are teaming up with Evolution Gaming to further enrich its list of online casino operators with VIP Live casino games and a vast range of other casino mass market games such as blackjack,